New Food and Drink Innovation Centre at Moulton College

New Food and Drink Innovation Centre at Moulton College

Thursday 13 July saw a significant moment for the new Food and Drink Innovation Centre at Moulton College with the cutting of the turf in preparation for the building work to begin.

The Food and Drink Innovation Centre will provide a bespoke facility to meet the skills and development needs of the Food and Drink sector. The Centre will include a number of food technology teaching rooms equipped with the most up-to-date equipment and technology to teach technical and vocational skills. Facilities will also include a commercial food processing unit adding significant value to locally produced commodities.

The centre will provide opportunities for current and prospective students and to meet the skills development needs of the Food and Drink sector across Northamptonshire and the neighbouring counties. Moulton College will be able to offer a suite of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships and standalone degrees in Food Science and Technology to meet the higher level needs of the industry.

With the ongoing need for more skilled specialist staff it’s more important than ever to ensure that young people are gaining the right skills in food and drink to be able to further develop the industry in the UK.

Stephen Davies, Principal says ‘I was delighted that so many supporters of the college came to celebrate breaking the turf on what will be an outstanding facility for Northamptonshire and the South East Midlands. The centre has been designed to meet the skills needs of the food and drink manufacturing industry which plays such an important role in this area. With apprentices and students scheduled to start their courses in September 2018, this will be another very exciting development for Moulton College’.

The centre will also provide an opportunity for the Food and Drink industry to use specialist testing and development facilities, especially given the large number of small to medium sized enterprises and micro-businesses located in Northamptonshire and the East Midlands.

Northamptonshire is home to more than twice the national average number of food and drink manufacturers, many of which produce high end, award-winning, specialist products for international audiences, worth £1.5 billion to the local economy. Northamptonshire is also responsible for 10% of the UK’s total wheat storage, milling and processing capacity.

The project is set to see over 40 construction jobs being supported through the build process further supporting local industry. It will also contribute over £15 million to the local economy by 2021, providing over 300 qualifications each year.

Moulton College will be providing updates of the build and the developments of the courses via social media and their website.